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jldean729's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I didn't like Susan. I get that she had a terrible upbringing and appeared to have an undiagnosed neurodivergence that caused her to look at the world from a different perspective, but for 95% of the book she was completely rigid and unable to relate to the world around her, especially in ways where she couldn't understand the perspectives of people around her. Then, at the very end of the book, all of a sudden her personality undergoes a massive shift? And she's randomly in love with someone completely different from her? Out of nowhere? I don't understand why Kate was so keen on being friends with her and, frankly, Kate and Rob should have gotten together.
Additionally, when the truth of her parentage is revealed, neither she nor the author is able to express any horror at the fact that a 30+ year old man had sex with his SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD SIL who was under the influence! And Susan initially blames her aunt/mother, and then finds acceptance in her decision to give Susan up, but never considers how truly heinous that situation is? My star rating for this book is going down more and more the longer I write this review.
Additionally, when the truth of her parentage is revealed, neither she nor the author is able to express any horror at the fact that a 30+ year old man had sex with his SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD SIL who was under the influence! And Susan initially blames her aunt/mother, and then finds acceptance in her decision to give Susan up, but never considers how truly heinous that situation is? My star rating for this book is going down more and more the longer I write this review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
ju_harue's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Foi uma leitura interessante, achei os personagens bem reais, humanos, com falhas, questões próprias bem profundas, atitudes boas e bem ruins, levando em consideração a forma de cada um lidar com o passado e o presente. Só não senti um tom nas atitudes deles tão compatíveis com a idade, pois enquanto lia, enxergava-os mais jovens.
Também achei que a escrita oscilava de ritmo, ora estava ansiosa com o desenrolar, lia avidamente, mas as vezes, se arrastava, com certas descrições demais sem tanta relevância para o conjunto da história.
De toda forma, foi uma boa leitura.
Também achei que a escrita oscilava de ritmo, ora estava ansiosa com o desenrolar, lia avidamente, mas as vezes, se arrastava, com certas descrições demais sem tanta relevância para o conjunto da história.
De toda forma, foi uma boa leitura.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death, Infidelity, Grief, and Abandonment
jamiejanae_6's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
seawarrior's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I had a difficult time getting through this book. Susan is a very judgmental and downright mean person, and I struggled to tolerate her perspective. I understood how it developed, especially as the book went on, but that did little to make me empathize with her ableist, disparaging and overcritical thought process more. I also found it hard to accept that most of the leading characters in this book are in their forties, since they behaved more like college students, Susan included. I wasn't really invested in the contents of the story, but kept telling myself that eventually Susan would "bloom" and start seeing the world in a new way, as promised. Her growth wasn't as rewarding as I'd hoped however, and I finished the book feeling like I'd wasted my time. I wouldn't recommend this book to others mostly because of my dislike for Susan. It was well written in regards to the story and the internal and external dialogue however, so other readers may still enjoy it. I'm just not one of them.
As a final related note, due to a disability recommendation list I was going through, I was led to believe that Susan was deliberately written as autistic, and that she would discover this eventually. This never happened however, so either the book's inclusion on that list was in error, or Susan's autism was confirmed by the author outside it. I just wanted to note that here in the event that another person starts reading this book in mistake, as I did.
As a final related note, due to a disability recommendation list I was going through, I was led to believe that Susan was deliberately written as autistic, and that she would discover this eventually. This never happened however, so either the book's inclusion on that list was in error, or Susan's autism was confirmed by the author outside it. I just wanted to note that here in the event that another person starts reading this book in mistake, as I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Body shaming, Drug use, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, and Vomit
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